Industry leaders push for robust copyright ecosystem at Sharjah Int'l Book Fair

Heba Abdelsattar in Sharjah , Thursday 14 Nov 2024

The ongoing 43rd Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) (6-17 November) has offered an in-depth look into the evolving role of intellectual property through a workshop titled “The Role of Intellectual Property in the Modern Digital Publishing Ecosystem,” where industry leaders pushed for robust copyright ecosystem.

Industry leaders

 

Bulgarian diplomat Dimiter Tzantchev opened the floor by addressing the "genuine data crunch" publishers face globally.

“Data is essential for progress. We need evidence-based policy-making. Publishing, one of the oldest and most respected industries, still lacks the comprehensive, reliable data that other creative industries, like music and audiovisual, have readily available," Tzantchev said.

"Despite our efforts to gather meaningful insights on the global publishing industry, we find that the data simply doesn’t exist in the shape we need to support informed decision-making and strategic growth,” he added.

During the event, Emma House, a prominent figure in the global publishing industry, also emphasized the critical need to safeguard intellectual property rights in Europe.

“Amid the rise of AI, the European publishing industry must prioritize protecting intellectual property rights. As technology reshapes the landscape, we need to safeguard authors' rights to ensure the industry remains sustainable,” said House, director and founder of Oreham Group – a publishing consultancy founded in 2019 dedicated to international business development and event curation and strategy.

“Maintaining a strong copyright framework is vital to the industry's sustainability, especially as AI brings new challenges in areas like content generation and policy development,” she noted.

Then, Director of Strategic Initiatives & Global Markets at Sharjah Book Authority Iman Ben Chaibah took to the stage to discuss the digital publishing landscape in the Arab world.

"When non-Arabs attempt to understand the region's perspective, they often miss key cultural and economic factors,” she said.

“For instance, many in the Arab world are accustomed to consuming content for free, which creates a significant gap in transitioning to paid digital models. While the UAE has strong anti-piracy laws that help protect publishers and content creators; other regions in the Arab world—particularly parts of North Africa and Asia—lack similar legal protections," she added.

"This disparity leads to a loss of revenue and makes it difficult for digital publishing to grow sustainably across the entire region. To fully realise the potential of digital publishing in the Arab world, there needs to be a concerted effort toward developing comprehensive copyright frameworks and shifting consumer mindsets toward valuing paid content," Ben Chaibah explained.

 

 

The session was rounded off by academician and publisher Brian Wafawarowa, who spoke about educational publishing in the digital environment.

"Despite the challenges, I find digital publishing increasingly appealing, particularly through licensing models that offer flexible access to educational content,” said the CEO of Juta and Company, a leading provider of quality legal, regulatory, business, and academic content across Africa.

“Digital technology holds immense potential to support the goal of universal coverage in education, reaching learners who might otherwise be left behind,” Wafawarowa added.

The South African publisher also highlighted some of the challenges the industry currently faces.

“Infringement and piracy remain significant concerns, impacting revenue and discouraging investment in quality materials. There is also growing competition from Open Educational Resources (OER) and Corporate Social Investment (CSI) materials, which are often free or low-cost. Additionally, today’s users expect more dynamic, interactive, and versatile content that goes beyond traditional formats," Wafawarowa continued.

"Meeting these evolving expectations requires publishers to adapt quickly, creating engaging, flexible materials that align with modern learning habits. Despite these obstacles, I believe digital publishing is on the path forward for creating accessible, innovative educational experiences globally,” he concluded.

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